Santorini, Mykynos & Ancient Olympia

The ship did not dock; it tethered off the coast of Santorini. First view of Thira, a city built at the top/into the side of a cliff, was breathtaking. We had to ride a tender/shuttle boat to get from the ship to shore. Yes, we were on the first shuttle to leave the ship. Road the cable cars up the steep side...Tom slipped on deck while jogging this morning and tore a ligament in his ankle. We used that as an excuse not to walk the 580 stone steps zig-zagging up the mountainside into Fira.

Did not pass go. Did not collect $200. Headed straight to an ATV rental shop and got a couple. Headed out of town going south. Stopped at a taverna about halfway to the tip for a drink and an incredible view of the caldera. Santorini is the crescent-moon shaped one of several islands that are the remnants of a volcano. 

Drove through Akrotiri and down to a red beach. Saw the ancient walls of a Minoan archaeological site. Headed north to Oia, the northernmost city on a hill. Enjoyed the bay, put or toes in the water at the black pebble beach then took the coastal road back to Thira. Saw old windmills along the way. Ate an awesome Greek dinner overlooking the calderas as the sun set. Pleasant way to end the day.

We awoke to our first cloudy skies as we docked at Mykynos. Crossed our fingers and got on a shuttle boat to Delos - birthplace of the twins Artemis, goddess of the hunt & virginity, and Apollo, god of truth & light. Oh. My. Goodness. A whole island of archeological treasures...some dating back to the 7th century BC. We hiked to the top of the highest point which was Zeus' perch of honor. By this time the clouds had burned away and we enjoyed a 360 degree view of the island, azure blue water surrounding it, and the neighboring Cyclades.

Wandered through the museum then rode the shuttle boat back to Mykynos. Had my favorite Greek lunch - tzaziki, saganoki, and a Greek salad. Yum. Greg had spaghetti & meatballs. Shopped for less than an hour. Found windmills then back on the ship. Enjoyed our favorite entertainment so far...a husband & wife aerial act. Stormy night with rough seas had us rocking a bit.

Woke up to find that we were the only cruise ship (of four) to dock at Kataklone. Seas and wind were supposed to die down. As we disembarked the waves breaking on the dock sprayed more than one unsuspecting passenger.

Hired a taxi to take us the 25 miles to Ancient Olympia. After our exceptional experience on Delos, none of us were expecting much. And we were surprised. Again. Delos was a bustling city of 30,000 inhabitants at one time spread over the entire island. Ancient Olympia was a much more concentrated area but some of the ruins and archeological treasures were 7,000 years old!

We truly feel like we chose wisely on the "way" to experience each of our Greek adventures. Car, ATV, boat, taxi. Variety that matched our ability to best get a "feel" for the destination.

Thursday night the seas got rougher and the winds picked up. Swells 12 - 18 feet. Winds to 45 knots. Wednesday night's rocking was gentle compared to Thursday rolling.

Spent the last day at sea calm & clear. Saturday was a drive east to west. Passed by Verona. Stopped off the beaten path for a memorable lunch in Mantova. Continued to the coast and settled in for the night in old town Monterosso al Mare, our starting point for a Cinque Terre hike.